COVID-19: Philanthropist Donates Over N10 million Palliatives To Delta Kingdom

A Lagos-based business tychoon and philanthropist, Chief Richard Okei Odumenya, has donated food palliatives worth over N10 million to the elderly and vulnerable women of Orogun kingdom in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, to ameliorate the hardship currently being experienced by Nigerians as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chief Odumenya who is the chairman/CEO of Odumenya group of companies, distributed a trailer-load of packaged rice and beans to over a thousand elderly and vulnerable women spread across 18 communities in Orogun kingdom on Saturday May 30, 2020.

The exercise which started at Orogun town, was declared opened by Chief Barr. Andy Osawota, former Secretary of DESOPADEC.

At the Orogun primary school premises which served as the starting point of the exercise, over 400 elderly women drawn from Umusu and Unukpo communities, were given one 10 kg bag of rice and one 10 kg bag of beans each to take home.

Fielding questions from newsmen during the exercise, Chief Odumenya who was represented by Barr. J.N. Enajodu, stated that he was touched by the plight of the aged and vulnerable mothers in the various communities in the kingdom who are confined to their homes and are not strong enough to fend for themselves in this period of Covid-19 lockdown.

He said: “Richard Odumenya may not be the richest man in the entire Orogun kingdom but this is somebody who has human feeling and he believes that the little he will do for this various communities in the kingdom, will go a long way to save life and that is why we are here.

“We are here to ensure that the palliatives he has packaged for the people of Orogun community are equitably distributed and given to the needy.

“We are here to ensure that our old mothers who are adversely affected by the negative impact of the Covid-19 lockdown are well taken care of.”

Chief Odumenya further disclosed that the palliatives are targeted at 18 communities in Orogun kingdom for estimated 1,000 elderly and vulnerable women, adding that “it was not meant for the youths nor for able-bodied men and women.”

Speaking to newsmen shortly after declaring the exercise earlier, Chief Andy Osawota, noted that what Chief Odumenya has done was to support the effort of the government and other good-spirited Orogun sins and daughters to give out palliatives to the people of Orogun kingdom to ameliorate their plight during the lockdown and stay at home order of the government.

He stated that there was no political discrimination in the distribution of the palliatives adding that the benefactor, Chief Odumenya is not a politician.

Across section of the beneficiaries of the palliatives who spoke to newsmen, showered encomiums on Chief Odumenya, praying that God should bless him more for the kind gesture.

Other communities visited by the distribution team where a total of over 600 hundred old women received the palliatives with joy and jubilation include Imodje, Idjerhe, Orhokpokpor, Okoadiovwa, Okpe, Aragba, Eboh and Emonu.

Also, Ugono, Ozuoka, Orhomurun, Sanubi, Okounoh-Ovara, Unukpo-Ovara, Ovara-Umusu, Erobaro and Oyeobru received their own share of the Covid-19 palliatives.

The entire Orogun kingdom was in a festive mood as the elderly women danced and prayed for the donor for the kind gesture.

Chief Richard Okei Odumenya (JP) who is also the chairman of Tamarine Hotels Limited, Lagos, hails from Obodeti, one of the communities also in Orogun kingdom.

The team who came from Lagos to distribute the food items was led by Barr. J.N. Enajodu. Others were Ruth N. Ezihe and Bulus Jonathan.